When Motherhood and Opportunity Align: My CultureCon Story

Sometimes, the opportunities we’ve been praying for show up when we least expect them—right when we’re ready to let them go. This weekend, I found myself in that exact moment, torn between staying home with my sick daughter and stepping into an opportunity I wasn’t sure I was prepared for. But as I leaned into faith and trusted my gut, I realized something powerful: motherhood and entrepreneurship don’t have to compete. They can exist in harmony, and this weekend was proof that I can show up for both.

This weekend, I almost missed another opportunity. My daughter, Sydney, had been sick, and it seemed like staying home would be the safest and most sensible choice. CultureCon—a chance to connect, to immerse myself in the entrepreneurial world I’ve been praying to break through—was slipping away, and I was okay with that, or at least, I was trying to be.

For the past month, I’ve felt like maybe motherhood was meant to be my focus. I’ve spent so much time in prayer, asking God for clarity on my next move. I’ve always felt this entrepreneurial spirit burning inside me, but the doors just didn’t seem to be opening. Meanwhile, Kier’s opportunities have been rolling in, one after another. As happy as I am for him, I couldn’t help but wonder when it would be my turn.

So, I surrendered. I told myself that maybe my time to focus on my dreams wasn’t now. Maybe my calling in this season was to be fully present as a mother, and that’s where I poured my energy. I journaled, cried, and even wrote three unpublished blog posts about finding peace in leaning into motherhood with my whole heart. I tried to embrace the idea that, for now, this was enough.

But then Saturday morning came, and everything shifted.

Sydney woke up feeling completely fine, like the sickness that had kept us home never even existed. And suddenly, I had a two-hour window to decide: Should I go to CultureCon? Everything in me wanted to say no. I didn’t feel ready. I hadn’t planned. It felt too last-minute, too rushed. I almost convinced myself that it just wasn’t meant to be.

But in that moment of hesitation, I felt a nudge—a reminder of all the prayers I’d sent up for clarity. Was this the answer I had been waiting for? Was this God showing me that opportunities are coming, just not in the way I expected?

I texted a friend and poured my heart out. I told her how I’d been asking God for guidance. I felt like the opportunities just weren’t showing up for me the way I had hoped. I admitted how I’d resigned myself to focusing solely on motherhood because I thought that’s where I was supposed to be. I wrote it all out, trying to make sense of it.

And then Kier called. He told me there was a line of people at CultureCon asking for me—people who wanted to connect with me. I sat there, staring at my phone, feeling the weight of what he was saying. This was the opportunity I had been praying for. It was right in front of me, and all I had to do was step into it.

So I did.

I did my hair, packed my bags, called an Uber, and within 30 minutes, I was on the train to New York. I didn’t have time to overthink it, and maybe that was for the best. I just took the leap. And as the train sped towards the city, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time—a deep, unshakable sense of peace.

Walking into CultureCon, I felt this overwhelming confirmation that I’m allowed to have both. I can be fully present as a mother and still chase my dreams. I don’t have to choose between the two. I don’t have to sacrifice one part of myself to honor the other. There is room for all of me—mother, entrepreneur, dreamer, and creator.

I used to think that stepping into opportunities meant stepping away from my family. That chasing my dreams meant sacrificing time with my kids. But this weekend taught me that there is a beautiful harmony to be found. It’s not perfect, and it’s not always easy, but it’s possible. I can be both. I am both.

I came back from CultureCon with a renewed sense of purpose. I felt assured that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be—nurturing my children, building my dreams, and trusting that the two can coexist in a way that honors both parts of me.

So if you’ve been praying for clarity, if you’ve been feeling like you have to choose between your family and your dreams, let me tell you—there’s space for it all. You don’t have to let one part of you go in order to be fully present for the other. There will be moments when the doors swing open, and when they do, walk through them. Trust that you are capable of holding both in your hands.

This weekend, I got my answer. It’s not about choosing one over the other. It’s about finding the grace to be present for both, trusting that the opportunities will come, and knowing that when they do, you’ll be ready.